The prior art, and in particular French Pat. Nos. 1 192 040, 1 442 908, 2 099 977, 2 147 471, 2 359 369, and 2 411 361, already describes locking devices in which an element in the form of a hat, cap, ring or the like and optionally co-operating with a spring serves to lock a vehicle headlight lamp when the lamp occupies an appropriate axial and angular position within its socket. However, in all of these prior art locking devices, lamp replacement, or any other operation on a lamp, requires said locking element to be removed, and therefore runs the risk of it being mislaid by the user.
The present invention seeks to alleviate this drawback and provides a locking device including a locking element which remains permanently attached to the headlight without hindering the insertion and the extraction of the lamp.
Another aim of the invention is to provide a device which facilitates the positioning of the lamp in its proper angular orientation when it is being put into place.